Printing telegraph receiver



Feb. 9, 1954 Filed Aug. 14, 195] D. s. RIDLER 2,668,870

PRINTING TELEGRAPH RECEIVER 10 Sheets-Sheet 1 H 1. Fi a igs.

.F/g2. 94. H96.

Inventor DESMOND S. RIDLER A Horn 2 y Feb. 9, 1954 D. s. RIDLER 2,668,870

I PRINTING TELEGRAPH RECEIVER Inventor DESMOND SRIDLER ByW \ Attorney Feb. 9, 1954 Filed Aug. 14, 1951 D. s. RIDLER 2,668,870

PRINTING TELEGRRH RECEIVER l0 Sheets-Sheet 4 Inventor DESMOND S. RIDLE R Attorney Feb. 9, 1954 D. s. RQIDLER 2,663,870

PRINTING TELEGRAPH RECEIVER Fiied Aug. 14, 1951 10 Sheets-Sheet 5 OT/s Inventor DEMO 5.- RI DLER A itomey 'Feb; "9', 1954' D. s. RIDLER 2,668,870

PRINTING TELEGRAPH RECEIVER Filed Aug. 14, 1951 10 Sheets-Sheet 6 Inventor DESMOND S. RI DLER A ttorn ey Feb. 9, 1954 D. s. RlDLER PRINTING TELEGRAPH RECEIVER l0 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed Aug. 14, 1951 Wok Inventor DESMOND'S R I DLER Attorney PRINTING TELEGRAPH RECEIVER Filed Aug. 14, 1951 10 Sheets-Sheet 9 Inventor DESMOND S. RIDLER Attorney Feb. 9, 1954 D. s. RIDLER PRINTING TELEGRAPH RECEIVER Filed Aug. 14, 1951 10 Sheets-Sheet l0 Inventor DESMOND 5, RI DL ER y A tlorney Patented Feb. 9, 1954 PRINTING TELEGRAPH RECEIVER Desmond Sydney Ridler, Aldwych, London, England, assignor to International Standard Electric Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application August 14, 1951, Serial No. 241,727

Claims priority, application Great Britain August 21, 1950 5 Claims.

This invention relates to printing telegraph receivers.

Printing telegraph receivers commonly accomplish printing through the agency of a typewheel bearing embossed representations of the characters it is desired-to print, the type wheel being rotated under the control of the received signals to the desired position, and firmly held, printing being then effected by causing the recording mediumus-ually a paper tape or sheet-- and the selected embossed character carried by the type wheel to be pressed together with an inking ribbon interposed between them. There are many ingenious devices for holding the type wheel in the desired position and causing the selected character to be printed but the present invention is only concerned with means for causing the type-Wheel to be rotated to the desired position and initiating the mechanical operations of holding it in position and pressing the embossed type and the recording medium together. In the preferred embodiment of the invention which will be described, the rotating, holdin and printing operations are carriedl out under the control of a plurality of gas-filled electric discharge tubes.

As the type-wheel itself and the holding and printing mechanisms do not .form any part of the invention, only .a very simplified form !of mechanism will be described and illustrated, it being understood that circuits according to the invention can equally well, :be applied to control the operation of more complicated mechanisms for printing characters, :as for example, actuating a case-shift mechanism.

In printing telegraph systems it is almost universal for the characters to be represented by code combinations in which each combination consists of the same number of elements, any one 01 which can be a mark or a space, For example, in line telegraph operation, a mark can be indicated by negative polarity to line and a space by positive polarity or if preferred, the successive code elements may consist of applications of a polarity to line for spaces and zero potential to line for marks.

The code in most common use is the well- .knownfive-element code in which eachcharacter is built up of a code combination consisting of five permutable code elements sent successively, any one of which elements can be .a mark or a space. .In addition, it is usual .ior the transmitting station to send out an invariable start element before the first ncrmutable element .of

oodecombination inorder to setthe receiving 2 equipment in operation and an invariable Stop signal after the last permutable element of the code combination which stops the receiv ng equipment. It, is usual to employ a marl; element at the beginning of the stop period and to maintain this markin condition until the next combination is to be sent when it is prec ded by a pa element acting as the start signal. Thus, for each character transmitted, there is sent out a signal combination of seven elements, namely a start element, a five element .codecombination and a stop element, which last .is usually prolonged .until. the next start element.

In a well-known type of printing telegraph receiver, a type-wheel is set in rotation upon receipt of a code combination, a set of permutation members (one for each permutable element) controls by its permutational setting the selection of one of a plurality of stop members and the selected stop member stops the rotating type-wheel when the character corresponding .to the received code combination is in the printing position.

According to the present invention, there is provided a printing telegraph receiver comprising means .for registering a received code combi-nation, means for setting .a type-wheel in rotation from a given angular position. means for counting the number of character positions through which said type-wheel is rotated, means for selecting the character corresponding to the received code combination by stopping said twowheel in a position determined by .a comparison between the number of character positions so counted and a number representing said received code combination and means for printing the selected character.

In the embodiment of the invention which will now be described by way of example, the type- -wheel always returns to the same angular position between the printing of one character and the next.

The embodiment to be described together with a modification thereof is illustrated in the accompanying drawings of which:

Fi s. .1 to 6 are portions of a complete circuit diagram for carrying out the described embodiment of .the invention,

Fig. .7 is a block diagram to show how a complete circuit diagram can be built up by mutually relating Figs. 1 .to 6,

Figs. 8 to 11 are portions of a circuit diagram which, when considered with Figs. 1 to 5 give a complete circuit diagram for carrying out a modification of the embodiment described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6,.and

Fig. 12 is a block diagram to show how a complete circuit diagram can be built up by mutually relating Figs. 1 to 5 and 8 to 11. It will be apparent from the foregoing list of drawings that none of the circuit figures (i. e. 1 to 6 or 8 to 11) is complete in itself and consequently connections have had to be taken from one figure to another. These connections terminate in one or more numbered terminals at the edge of one figure and are continued from similarly positioned and numbered terminals on an adjacent figure. In each case where this occurs, the number of the terminal at which a connection enters or leaves a figure is stated as well as the appropriate figure number. It is thus possible to follow the description of the circuit figures without laying them out in any particular formation. The understanding of the invention will, however, be assisted by relating the various circuit figures of the drawings as shown in Figs. 7 and 12.

In order to reduce the number of interconnections required between figures, the contacts of certain keys and relays have been shown separately from their operating key or winding. In each case where a contact is shown on a separate figure, reference to that figure has been made by number when referring to the contact concerned. Otherwise, contacts may be assumed to be on the same sheet as the means for operating them.

In carrying out the preferred embodiment of the present invention, extensive use is made of cold-cathode gas-filled tubes. A brief summary of the properties of these tubes will be given be fore proceeding to the particular description of the circuits involved.

In the case of three electrode tubes, the electrodes are an anode, a cathode and a trigger electrode.

A potential is normally applied between the anode and the cathode which is insufficient to ionise the anode-cathode gap and so cause the tube to become conducting but which is sufiicient to maintain the conducting condition when once established.

If a potential of sufficient value is applied momentarily to the trigger electrode, the potential will ionise the trigger-cathode gap and the ionisation will spread to the anode-cathode gap which will become conducting. In this condition the tube is said to be fired. The tube will remain fired provided that the anode-cathode potential difference does not fall below a minimum value known as the sustaining voltage. Alteration or removal of the voltage on the trigger electrode of a tube when fired will not cause the conduction of the tub-e to cease.

The tube will be extinguished, i. e. will cease conducting, if the potential difference across the anode-cathode gap is reduced below the value of the sustaining voltage. This may be done externally by either lowering (or removing) the anode potential or by raising the cathode potential.

The firing potential (i. e. the potential on the trigger electrode necessary to cause the anodecathode gap to become conducting) may be built up by first applying a priming potential below that necessary to fire the tube (in which state the tube is said to be primed) and then momentarily adding to it, at the desired instant, a second potential such that the sum of the two potentials is sufiicient to fire the tube although neither applied potential is sufiicient of itself to do so. In the case of four-electrode tubes, a second trigger electrode is provided which can be 4 used to fire (or prime) the tube from a separate source.

Throughout the ensuing description it will be assumed that the telegraph code in use is the well known five-element Baudot code operating at a signal frequency of fifty elements a second.

In the embodiment now to be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6 the type-wheel is rotated through the necessary angle to bring into printing position the character corresponding to the received signal combination and after printing has taken place, the type-wheel is further rotated in the same direction until it reaches its initial position where it remains until the receipt of the next signal combination.

The incoming signals control a telegraph relay RA (Fig. 5) having two contact tongues ml and m2 each moving between mark and space fixed contacts designated M and S, respectively. The receipt of a start element changes ml and m2 over to the space position and the changeover of ml starts up a pulse generator PGI (Fig. 5) in the manner now to be described.

Pulse generator PG] comprises two thermionic valves Vi and V2 interconnected as a multivibrator. For the purpose of explanation, VI and V2 have been shown as triodes interconnected in the simplest possible manner. Preferably, however, Vi and V2 are pentode valves interconnected in the manner described and illustrated in the specification of British Patent No. 636,668 (E. M. S. McWhirter-R. H. Dunn-P. W. Lennox 42-23-5).

The cathode of valve VI is connected directly to earth but the cathode of V2 is connected to the cathode of a four-electrode gas-filled tube 'I'Pi. In the absence of received signals, tube TPI is fired so that a positive potential is developed at its cathode across cathode load resistor Hi. This positive potential applied to the cathode of valve V2 prevents this valve from becoming conducting and its partner valve Vi therefore conducts.

When contact tongue ral changes over to the space contacts on receipt of a start element, it temporarily earths the anode of tube TPI and thereby extinguishes this tube. This removes the positive bias from the cathode of valve V2 which thereupon becomes conducting and cuts off its partner valve VI. When valve VI is cut on, its anode potential rises to that of the H. T. supply. The effect of this is to produce a positive pulse at the anode of valve VI. This positive pulse may be assumed to appear virtually simultaneously with the beginning of the start element which initiated its production.

Thereafter the multi-vibrator oscillates in the normal way and, since the positive pulses appearing at the anode of valve V! are timed to occur at intervals of twenty milli-seconds (i. e. one element time duration) the second and succeeding pulses may be assumed to appear virtually simultaneously with the respective beginnings of the second and succeeding elements of the received signal combination. These pulses appearing at the anode of valve V l and occurring substantially co-phasally with the received signal elements will be referred to hereinafter as the timing" pulses.

The multivibrator comprising valves Vi and V2 is arranged to be symmetrical i. e. the first pulse produced at the anode of V2 when this valve is out 01f is arranged to occur ten milliseconds after that occurring at the anode of valve VI. The pulses from valve V2 thus occur virtually at the (theoretical) centre of the signal aa-eaaro to clllnontsand wiiiibe'reterred' to hereinafter as the "warming." pulses;

The first timing pulse is applied, via terminal I'll to the trigger electrodes of all seven of the chain of-three electrode cold-cathode-tubes TD! to'I'D'l shown in Fig. 3. Thisv chain of tubes is connected in known mannerto form a distributor chain. Successive timing pulses applied via terminal TM" cause one tubeafter another to be tired, the order of firing being in numerically as sending order. Therise-in cathode potential of I; fired tube (due to the voltage developed. across thecathod'e loadresistorthereof) is used to prime the trigger electrode oi thesucceedingtube with theexception of TD! which is used to prime the trigger electrode of TDI vialead Ll. The use of a common anode load resistor R2 ensures that when'each tube is'fired it reduces the anode potentialofthe remaining'tubes and so extinguishes the one that was previously fired. Thus, only onetube may befired: at a time.

In the intervals between successive signal combinations, tube TD! is fired and primes tube 'I'Di over lead Ll.

When the first timing pulse arrives via terminal TN to mark the beginning of a received start element, tube TDI is fired (and TDl extinguished). The firing of TDI primes TDZ for operation by the second timing pulse which oocirrs-twenty-milli-seconds later, at the beginning 01' the first permutable element (i. e. the element immediately following the start element) of a reoeived signal combination.

The first permutable element will be either a mark or a space depending upon the character represented by the complete signal combination. For illustrative purposes it will be assumed that the received signal combination is (S) MS MMS (M) representing the character F. The first permutableelement is thus a mark.

When tube TDZ (Fig. 3) is fired the potential developed acrossitscathode load resistor, in addition to being used to prime tube TD3 is applied via terminal Til-to the upper (in the figure) of the two trigger electrodes of a four-electrode gasfilled tube TCI (Fig. 4).

The ten four-electrode tubesTCi to T0110 form a register chain interconnected with the distributor chain shown in Fig. 3 via terminals T9 to TIS. Each pair of tubes (such asTCi and TCZ, or TC5 and T06) corresponds to one of the five permutable elements of'a signal combination.

The cathodes oi each pair of tubes are connected together by'capacitors suchas CI which connects the cathodes of tubes TC! and. TCZ. The firing of either tube will result in its'cathode potential being raised-to a positive value by virtueof. the potential developed across its cathode load resiston, This wiil. cause a positive impulse to be applied via the capacitor to the cathode of the partner tube. The raising of. the cathode potential of the latter tube will reduce the potential across the tube below the maintaining potential and the tube will be extinguished. Thusonly onetube of a. pair may be fired at a time although five tubes of the chain are always fired.

An odd numbered tube when fired represents a space element and an even numbered tube when fired represents a mark element.

In the initial condition i. e. between signals, all five even umbered (i. e. mark tubes are fired). In order to register the five permutable elementsoi a signal combination on the chain of tubes 'ICI' to TCIO it is only necessary to 6 change-over thezcorrespondingpair of-i tubes .when a spacing element is received.

It has already been; explained: that when. tube TD2 of the distributor chain of Fig. 3 is fired at the beginning of the first permutable element of the received signal combination, the positive potential developed across its cathode load resistor is applied via terminal T5 to one of the trigger electrodes of tube TC l in Fig. 4. This potential is not sufficient of itself to fire tube T01 and thus extinguish its partner tube T02, but requires the addition of a scanning pulse from the pulse generator PGI of Fig. 5.

The scanning pulses are applied. in parallel to all the odd numbered tubes TCi' to TCS ofliig: 4 via terminal Ti (3 and c-ontacttcngue m2 shown in Fig. 5 and thence via terminal THE in Fig; 3 in parallel to each of the-terminals Til I13, in Fig. 3'. Pulses will onl appear at terminal TiB if contact tongue m2 is: in the space position-,1: e. ifaspace element received. The first scanning pulse does in fact appear at terminal TIG ten mini-seconds after the appearance of the first timingpulse at terminal Ti l; since contact tongue m2 is in the space position during the receipt of the start element. Since, however, the scanning pulses are not of themselves sufficient to fire any of the odd numbered tubes TC! to the first scanning. pulse has no effect and be ignored.

The second scanning pulse is produced by the pulse-generator PGi (Fig. 5) ten milli-seoonds after the second timing pulse has fired tube T132 (Fig. 3) and the firing of the latter has primed tube TC! (Fig. 4') via terminal T9.

Since it has been assumed that the first permutable element of the signal combination is a mark, contact tongue m2 (Fig. 5) is in the position shown when the second scanning. pulse is produced by the pulse-generator PGl. The second scanning pulse does not thereforeappear at terminal Tifi and tube TCI (Fig. l) although primed via terminal TSi, remains extinguished.

The third timing pulse fires tube T113 of the distributor chain (Fig. 3), thus extingu ning tube TDI. (from which it was primed). lir ing of tube T133 (Fig. 3) applies a priming potential to tube T03 (Fig. 4.)- via terminal Tl theextinguishing of tube T102 (Fig. 3) removes the priming potential from tube 'ICi (Fig. i). The condition the first pair of tubes ('iT'Ci and T02) of the register chain of Fig. 4 thus remains unaltered to record the fact that th first permutable element of thereceived signal combination is a mark.

The appearance of the'third timing pulse coincides With the beginning the second permutable element of the received signal. combination, which element has been assumed to be a space. Thus, when the'third scanning pulse appears ten milliseconds after the third. timing pulse, contact tonguev m2 (Fig. is in the space position and the third scanning pulse is applied via terminal TI (5 (Figs. 5 and 3) and terminals T9 to Tit (Fig 3 and. 4.) to the (upper) trigger electrodes of the ode. numbered tubes to. TCQ. of the register chain shown in Fig. i. Tube is ahead) primed by tube of distributor chain 3.) via terminal Till the third scanning pulse is QfffiC'JlVe to fire tube T03. Th firing of latter tube causes the extinction of its partner tube 77.04. The changed-over condition of this second pair. of tubesin the register chain thus reccrdsxthe. fact. that. the second permutableeleaeeasvo ment of the received signal combination is a space.

The fourth and fifth timing pulses respectively cause tub TCE and TC! of the register chain (Fig. 4) to be primed but since the third and fourth permutable elements of the signal combination are assumed to be mark elements, tubes ICE and T07 are not fired by the fourth and fifth scanning pulses. The condition of the third and fourth pairs of tubes in the register chain thus remains unaltered. to record the fact that the third and fourth permutable elements ar both marks.

The sixth timing pulse causes tube T09 of the register chain (Fig. 4) to be primed while the sixth scanning pulse fires this tube and extinguishes its partner tube TClil to record that the fifth permutable element of the received signal combination is a space. The tubes of the register chain which are now fired are T03 and T05 in the upper (odd) row and T02, (i and 8 in the lower (even) row.

The seventh timing pulse fires tube T13! of the distributor chain (Fig. 3) which was primed when the previous tube TDS was fired by the sixth timing pulse. The positive potential developed across the cathode load resistor of tube TD! when it is fired is applied via lead Ll to prime the first tube of the distributor chain, TDi. It is also applied via terminal T15 (Figs. 3, 5 and 6) to one of the trigger electrodes of four-electrode gasfilled tube TPI (Fig. 5) already mentioned and to the trigger electrode of a three-electrode gasfilledtube TRI shown in Fig. 6. This positive potential is sufficient only to prime tubes TP! and TRI.

The seventh scanning pulse is applied via resistor R2 (Fig. 5) and capacitor C2 to the trigger electrodes of tubes TP! and TRI and is sufiicient when added to the priming potential already applied to fire both tubes. It will be evident from Figs. 5 and 6 that all the scanning pulses from the pulse generator PGI are in fact applied to the trigger electrodes of tubes TPI and TR! but these scanning pulses are not sufficient to fire either tube unless it has been primed.

When the tube TP! (Fig. 5) is fired by the seventh scanning pulse, the rise in its cathode potential puts a positive bias on the cathode of valve V2 of the multi-vibrator and stops this valve from conducting as previously explained. No more pulses are emitted by the pulse generator PG! until tube TPI is again extinguished by the start element of the succeeding signal combination.

When tube TRI (Fig. 6) is fired by the seventh scanning pulse, a relay RC in its cathode circuit is operated.

The contact rel operated by relay RC is shown in Fig. 2. Closing contact rci applies an earth over an already closed contact rd! and via terminal T3 to one lead of a driving motor I (Fig. 1). This completes the motor supply circuit through a battery (or other power source) BI and the motor I starts to rotate a shaft 2 in a clockwise direction. Shaft 2 carries a pinion 3 meshing with a larger pinion 4 fixed to the same shaft as a type-wheel 5. A very elementary form of type- Wheel has been shown for explanation purposes. Because the drive from motor l is taken via pinions 3 and l, type-wheel 5 is rotated in an anticlockwise direction.

Fixed to shaft 2 is a cam 8 controlling the opening and closing of a pair of contacts 1. The ratio between pinions 3 and t is such that con tacts l are closed once every tir'ne'type-wheel 5 moves from one character position to the next i. e. rotates through the angular distance between two adjacent characters.

Referring to Fig. 2, a capacitor C3 has one of its plates X connected to a negative source of potential shown as a battery B2. The other plate Y is connected to a positive source of potential shown as a battery B3. Since the two batteries are in series, the potential of the plate Y with respect to the plate X is equal to the sum of the potentials of the two batteries. The potential of the plate Y with respect to earth is equal to the potential of battery B3 only.

Each time contacts I (Fig. 1) are closed earth is applied via terminal T6 to the X plate'of capacitor C3. Thus for an instant, the potential of the plate Y with respect to the plate X- i. e. the sum of the two battery potentialsappears between plate Y and earth. Plate Y is connected over a normally closed contact TN to a terminal T8. Thus, a positive pulse appears at T8 each time contacts I (Fig. 1) are closed, that is, each time the type-wheel 5 moves from one character position to the next.

In order to bring into printing position the character (in this case F) represented by the received signal combination, the type-wheel 5 (Fig. 1) has to be rotated a pre-determined number of character positions away from its normal rest position. The pulses appearing at terminal T8 are counted by means now to be described and the driving motor I is stopped when the number of pulses counted indicates that the typewheel has reached the right position.

It has already been explained that the received signal combination is recorded by the condition of the successive pairs of tubes in the register chain of tubes TCi to TCIG shown in Fig. 4.

In order to count the pulses appearing at terminal T8, the chain of tubes TC! to TCH) is made to act as a binary counter, in which a fired tube represents the digit 1 and an extinguished tube, the digit zero. The method of connection to effect this counting will be apparent from Fig. 4 and the operation will be apparent from the subsequent description. Counting is arranged to take place from left to right in Fig. 4 so that the successive pairs of tubes TC! and T02 to TCFl and TCIB can be taken to represent in order 2, 2 2 2 and 2 Originally the five, even-numbered tubes were fired and the live odd-numbered tubes extinguished. The number represented on the oddnumbered tubes in this condition (which corresponds to the combination M M M M M) is zero which is a convenient point from which to commence counting.

When the combination M S M M S (representing the character F) was received it was recorded by firing tubes T03 and TCS of the oddnumbered tubes of the register chain on binary counter of Fig. 4. The binary number registered on the odd-numbered tubes was thus increased from zero to 2 +2 =18.

Throughout the description it will be assumed that type-wheel 5 (Fig. 1) has 32 characters arranged round its periphery in a clockwise direction in the order of the binary number equivalent of their respective code combination. Thus, for example, if type-wheel 5 were rotated in a clockwise direction, it would be necessary to rotate it through 18 character positions to bring the character F into printing position since 18 is, as has already been explained, the binary number amaogs'zo- 9 equivalemtth' thewo'demombmationdm S M S1 Aghowever; the: tvpe'-wheel inlthis first ombodi-- ment is assunwd' v to. rotate; azimuth-clockwise direction. to the character Eihto printinga position requires the type-wheel. to! be rotated trough: 32 -18=141 character positions.

To? achieve this; means. that. driving: motor. 53 (m2 1" must-hostbpp'ecl aft'erwcontactsfl (Rigid!)- havev closed. 14:-t=imes:-and .cau'sedltapositiverpulsesi to be fed. into: the: binary counter." of. Fig. 4..

first. pulse. arriving terminal T8 fires tube.- Tcl. by means: of? its: second. tr'lggef elec trdde (the lower: ihFi g-a-i)... Bocauseot thereon pling: capacitor Cl; the firing: of; tuba-TC!v ex"-- tlnguishes: its: partner tube: Tom. The; number. registered: on: the: oddnumbered tubes has now been: increased by 1..

'Dhei next. pulse: arriv ng: via terminal. T8.- reflres tube T362.- and' extinguishes tube TGI When Uub'eTCl is fired" its catodeds at a positive. potcntial witn .respect'.-to ea'r-thaowing. to the 1 voltage developed across its cathode load resistor. It-hasmany." been explained that tube TCI- is.- extinguished; when. its-1 cathode: potential. is? furtherraisod; (though: only momentarily) by a. positive pulse derived" froml the cathode-of: tube. T62. and pa'ssed via. capacitor CI Tl'xis" momentary ii oneaserin .potentialxot the' oathode oi tube TGl issumclent'. to? cause: a'neonl tube. N l: momentarily to become conducting and so pass-ta pulseiorward toltheiseoond trigger'electrodes.-of.-.the next pair ofltixbes'fl fitandz'l-Cr Tha pulsexarriving .from neon tubesh i fires tube 'BCkandiexting-uishes-tube.T63. When tubeTC3 is extinguished itlcausesa-puleeto be passed for.- ward from; a neon-tubeNZ to the. third pair. of ttlbeeeTGizandJI-Cfiin-thersame waythat a pulse waspassed fonward to thecseoond-pair from. neon tubcNl whenetube 'lcl was extinguished.

The pulse arriving; from noon tube N2 fires who T625: and T06 becomes extinguished.

The: odd-numbered tubes. now fired are T andTCQ: so: that: the number. registeredon the oddmumberedtubes has been increased i1-om.1'8

to 2 1 42 =20,, thusindicating. that two pulses have beenlfed into the counter of Fig. 4 at terminal Tfland that: thet-ype-wheel (Fig. 1 has moved through two character positions.

The. third and" fourth pairs. of: tubes. are linked by aneon-tube" N3 and thefourth. andfifth pairs by aneon tube: N4. If the'train. ofevents is worked: through" it will be found that the. 14th pulse: fed into. the counter from terminal T8 causes all five pairs of tubes-tochange. over so thatithe iive .even-numbered-tuhes are fired which i wastthe original condition Thechange-over of each'ofz'the first .four l pairs of (tubes. causes a -pulse to be sent forward to thenextpairwhilethe ohangemver oithe last. pair (TCQ and TC!!!) causeavpulsetot be sent forward via neontube Ni and terminal TN to; fire aIthree-electrodegasfilled tube TRZE shown in-Fig. 6.

When tube TR2 is fired, a relay RD in its cathodeoirouitaopens' contactvrd i and closes contacts 11M; and with All three: contacts are. shown in Fig. 2.

When c'ontacturdl is opened it removes earth from: terminal T3 and so breaks the: driving. circuit to motor I (Fig. 1). The type-wheel. 5 is thus. stoppeda 14i cl'laract'erv positions. away. from its roei'gina'l 'positibntso? that the :character F is in the printing po'sitloniiv e; directly in .linewithia portion oi the-. paper tape" 8 on which printinggls lidtake'place.

When commerce. (Fig; 2'). isiclosed amearth Elcsing co;

103 isiappliedwia a closedcontact r133 to thenegative sideofla battery B4. The positivaside. ofhattery B4 is connected. via terminal: Tl' through three solenoids119,. lfi andzl-zi (Fig-z 1 parallel ilO-BEX't/hb therefore the simul taneous'. energisatlon of solenoids idand; l- I The energisation of solenoid. 5 caueesa locking. lever L2 to b2"l3 1i atd clockwise: (in Fig; i) so that its pointed end engagesv betweent wo teeth atoothed wheel i3sfiaedzto: the sameshaft as type-wheel... There are-asmany. teeth on wheel l3i as there are characters on type-wheel 5 and the. china. lever l2. acts: to hold the. type-wheel iii? the. positlo into whiohitihasbeen moved.

The encrg Lion of solenoid ll) actuates: aprinting-imrnmer Hr which-presses the paper tape dintosoozntact witl rthe character F on type-wheel 5;. it being; understood that. an inking;- ribbon (omittcdzforclarity) isinterposed between them.

The energisationof solenoid. H- causes-apawli5: to-be'fed, back one tooth on a ratchet wheel lfiiwithout movingathis wheel.

When contact r013 isclosed (which, of. course; occurs. simultaneously. with the events described above) it applies an earth to complete a circuit through a relay RB (Fig. 2) and a battery B5. Relay. RE is of the slow acting, type so that the closing of contactrcm" isnot'immediatel'y effective;

Aftersufitcient delay to allow prilitingtdtake place, slow acting relayRB operates to close inake-b'efore=hreak contact rbl (Fig: 2), to open contact r732 (Fig. 6), to change-overcontactrbil (Fig. andto opencontaotarbl (Fig.2).

The closingof make-before-break contacts-1b.! (Fig. 2') removes the'earththat was applied to relay: BB1 through. contact r013. and re-applies; it via-contact Tl .in thezmanner now to be" explained;

Referring to Fig. 1 terminal TI is connected togrounditcontacts l-Tl areclosedr These contacts. are: normally biasedto be closed: and are only" opened by. a narrow cam l8 fixed to the same shaft as the type-wheel. This cam I8. is operable to o'penic'ontacts- I?! when and .only, when the; type-wheel in its. normal: rest position as shown.=-. Thus; when v (as in the casebeing;v con sidered) the: types-Wheel has: been. movedaway from itsnormal position: for. the printing. of a character, contacts I! are closedeand' terminal I l is-v earthed;- It will thus-be. seen that .1 release oiarelay. RB (Fig. 2) islnow dependant upomthe openingaofi contacts I Fl: by cam I 8. when-the typewheel is again: in-its. normal rest position.-

The opening of contact r122 (Fig. 6).;br-eaksthe anode supply to: tubes: T:Rland .TRI- which in turmcauses the. releaseof relays RC and RD.

The. openingof: contact n12. (Fig.- 2) asa result of. vtherelease-of .relay- RD-breaks the circuit from battery B4 (viaterminal'lll through solenoids 9;.l0and4l (Fig. 1.).

The release of solenoidSmemoves-lockinglever lziiromtoothed wheel. l3 (Fig. 1) while thereleasehf solenoid H1 withdrawstheprinting hamme'r' H.-

TheE-release: of solenoid H causes the pawl 15 to =be;-drawn by.- a spring 19 to therightin Fig.1 and! since I the: pawl was. previously fed back one toothmn ratchet wheel. i-8-when solenoid il was operated, ratchet wheel I6 is advanced. in aclockwise-direction by one'tooth. This acts through a shaft 'ltito rotate:aieed roller 2 over which paper tape tv is; passed: and: socauses the paper tape to be advanced past the printingmointto receive the next printed character Thef change ovenof contaot.rbs. (Flig; .2) applies aniearthto terminal T2:

Referring to Fig. 1, terminal T2 is connected to one side of motor I if contacts 22 are closed. Contacts 22 are opened and closed at the same time as and in the same manner as contacts I! and so they are closed when terminal T2 is earthed by the change-over of contact rb3. The driving circuit of motor I (Fig. l) is thus reconnected and motor 1 begins to rotate again in a clockwise direction as before.

The opening of contact Th4 (Fig. 2) disconnects capacitor C3 from terminal T8 so that although contacts I (Fig. 1) are opened and closed as the type-wheel once more rotates, no more pulses are applied via terminal T8 to cause the binary counter of Fig. 4 to change its condition.

When the type-wheel 5 (Fig. 1) is back in its normal position, cam 58 opens contacts H and 22.

The opening of contacts IT causes the release of relay RB (Fig. 2) which was being maintained via terminal Tl through its own contact rbl.

The opening of contacts 22 breaks the driving circuit to motor I and the type-wheel is stopped in its normal rest position.

At the conclusion of the cycle of operations just described the following tubes in the circuit are left in a fired condition:

Tube TDl of the distributor chain shown in Fig. 3.

Tubes T02, 4, 6, 8 and H) of the register chain or binary counter shown in Fig. 4.

Tube TPI (Fig. 5) holding pulse generator PCI inoperative.

This is the condition which was assumed at the beginning ofthe receipt of a signal combination and is, in fact, the condition to which the circuit always returns after a signal combination has been received and the appropriate character printed.

- It is however, necessary to provide some means for firing the 7 tubes quoted upon first connecting ond code combination cannot be received and registered on the binary counter until the character corresponding to the first code combination has been printed.

In order to allow a second code combination to be received while printing is taking place in accordance with the first code combination, a storage stage may be introduced wherein the second combination is stored and from which the second combination is transferred en bloc as soon as the binary counter is free to receive it.

This storage stage may take the form of the chain of cold-cathode tubes T8! to T85 shown in Fig. 9 which should be inserted between Figs. 3 and 4. The other modifications required to the circuit are shown in Figs. 8, 10 and 11, the last two of which should replace Fig. 6. In order to obtain a complete picture of a circuit providing storage facilities, Figs. 1 to 5 and 8 to 11 should be related as shown in Fig. 12. The operation of this circuit will now be described insofar as it "differs from the operation of the circuit previously \I described.

Upon receipt of a signal combination, the five 'permutable elements thereof are registered on the tubes TSI to T85 (Fig. 9) under the control of 12 tubes TD2 to TDS of the distributor chain of Fig. 3 (and via terminals T9 to T13) in the same way as the five permutable elements were previously registered directly on the tubes of the register chain of Fig. 4.

Assuming that the signal combination received is the same as before, namely M 8 M M 8, tubes T82 and T85 of Fig. 9 will be fired to register the fact that the second and fifth permutable elements are spaces and the others, marks.

The seventh scanning pulse acts as before to stop the pulse generator PG-i (Fig. 5) and to fire.

three-electrode cold-cathode tube TR! (Fig. 10). When tube TRI is fired, relay RC in its cathode circuit is operated to change-over contact 102 (Fig. 10). Contact rci although it appears in Fig. 2 is not used in this modification. Similar remarks apply to contact nil in the same figure.

When r02 changes over it completes the operating circuit of a slow-acting relay RE (Fig. 10) and at the same time removes earth from terminal TI9.

Referring to Fig. 9, terminal Ti9 is connected to the cathodes of five rectifiers Xi to -X5. The anodes of these rectifiers are connected to respective cathodes of tubes TSI to T85. The cathodes of tubes TSI to T85 are also connected via (the lower in Fig. 9) terminals T9 to Tl3 to the trigger electrodes of the odd numbered tubes of the register chain of Fig. 4.

As long as terminal Tl9 (Fig. 9) is earthed the rectifiers connected to the cathodes of those storage tubes which have been fired (in this case, rectifiers X2 and X5 connected respectively to the cathodes of tubes T82 and T85) hold their respective cathodes at approximately earth potential by effectively short-circuiting most of the cathode load resistor of their respective tubes.

When contact T02 (Fig. 10) changes over to remove earth from terminal T9, the cathode potentials of tubes T82 and T85 (Fig. 9) rise as a result of the re-introduction of their cathode load resistors. The increase of potential on the cathode of storage tube T82 is applied via terminal TH] to fire tube T03 of the register chain of Fig. 4 while the increase in cathode potential of storage tube T85 is applied via terminal Tl3 to fire tube T09 of the register chain.

The firing of tubes TC3 and TC9 extinguishes their partner tubes T04 and TCli) so that the register chain of Fig. l is now in the same condition as When in the embodiment first described it was set directly under the control of the distributor chain of Fig. 3.

After the stored combination has been transferred, the slow-acting relay RE (Fig, 10) operates to open contacts rel and re3 (Fig. 10) and to close contact T62 (Fig. 11)

When contact rel (Fig. 10) opens it removes the anode supply (via terminal TIB) to all five storage tubes T8] to T85 (Fig. 9) so that when the anode supply is re-connected all five tubes will be extinguished.

When contact T22 (Fig. 11) closes it applies an earth to one side of a relay RF and so completes its operating circuit.

When contact T93 (Fig. 10) opens it breaks the anode supply to tube TR! and so causes the release of relay RC.

The release of relay RC changes back contact r02 (Fig. 10) thus re-connecting (via terminal Tl9) earth to the cathodes of the five rectifiers Xi to X5 (Fig. 9). The changing-back of contact r02 (Fig. 10) also releases relay RE (Fig. 10).

The re-closing of contact rel ,(Fig. l0) .re-

13 connects (via terminal Till) the anode supply to the storage tubes TSI to TS of Fig. 9. The storage tubes are now ready to store the next signal combination.

The re-opening of contact re2 (Fig. 11) opens the earth return to relay RF but this relay has by this time operated and completed an alternative earth return path for itself through its own contact rfl.

The closing or contact r12 (Fig. 8) by the operation of relay RF (Fig. 11) applies an earth to terminal T3, thus completing the driving circuit (through battery Bl) to motor i (Fig. l). The motor I rotates the type-wheel to the required character position and relay RD (Fig. 11) operates as before to stop motor I and cause printing to take place. In this modification, relay RD is provided with a, fifth contact rd5 which opens to release relay RF.

After printing has taken lace, the type-wheel is returned to its normal rest position in the same way as previously described.

While the principles of the invention have been described above in connection with specific embodiments, and particular modifications thereof, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example and not as a limitation on the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. Printing telegraph receiver comprising register means having a normal condition, means for altering the condition of said register means in response to the elements of a received code combination, a rotatable typewheel havin type characters spacedly positioned therearound, means coupled to said register means for setting said typewheel in rotation from a given angular position in response to the last element of said received code combination, means under control of said typewheel for producing a counting signal for each character position through which said typewheel is rotated, means for applying said signals to said register means to change said register means from its altered condition to its normal condition, the number of counting signals required to change said register means to its normal condition being equal to the character positions through which said typewheel is required to be rotated to arrive at the angular position of the type character corresponding to said received code combination, printing means under control of said register means operable upon the change of said register means from its altered to its normal position, and means under control of said typewheel to return said typewheel to its given angular position.

2. Printing telegraph receiver as claimed in claim 1 in which the number representing each respective code combination is obtained by regarding the successive permutable elements of said combination as successive digits in a binary scale of notation, the value of each digit (i. e. 0 or 1) depending upon the character (i. e. mark or space) of the corresponding code element.

3. Printing telegraph receiver as claimed in claim 2 in which the said register means comprises a plurality of cold-cathode discharge devices interconnected to serve as a binary counter.

4. Printing telegraph receiver as claimed in claim 3 in which the total capacity of said binary counter is equal to the number of character positions on said type-wheel, in which means is provided for registering said register means the number representing the received code combination and for adding thereto the number of character positions through which said type-wheel is rotated and in which means is provided for stopping said type-wheel when the sum of both the last mentioned numbers equals the total capacity of said register means.

5. Printing telegraph receiver as claimed in claim 3 further comprising means for storing a second received code combination during the se lection and printing of the character corresponding to the previously received code combination.

DESMOND SYDNEY RIDLER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,523,300 Herbst et a1 Sept. 26, 1950 2,540,654 Cohen et a1. Feb. 6, 1951 2,557,964 Herbst June 26, 1951 

